Suns sprint past Sonics

Focus on defense missing in action against Phoenix

Published 9:00 pm, Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Sonics' Luke Ridnour goes to the basket as Phoenix's Shawn Marion attempts to stop him during the first half of the Suns' victory.

The Sonics' Luke Ridnour goes to the basket as Phoenix's Shawn Marion attempts to stop him during the first half of the Suns' victory.

Photo: / Associated Press

Suns sprint past Sonics

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As a source of encouragement for his improving club, Sonics coach Bob Hill decided to document the team's defensive numbers for the past 10 games in comparison to the other 29 NBA teams.

Surprisingly, the Sonics ranked in the top 10 in defense in that stretch before Tuesday's game with the Phoenix Suns. After their 48-minute sprint with the Suns, however, the Sonics are falling down that list faster than Enron stock.

Phoenix conducted an offensive clinic for the 16,841 at KeyArena, scoring in every conceivable way against an overwhelmed and outclassed Sonics defense as four players scored at least 20 points and the Suns ran away with a 129-120 win.

Reigning MVP Steve Nash scored 23 points, but he got plenty of help, including 23 points in 20 minutes from Tim Thomas. The Sonics attempted matching the Suns basket-for-basket, but that strategy rarely works and Seattle used up its quota in a 152-149 double-overtime win at Phoenix on Jan. 22.

"They just kicked our butt," Hill said. "Nash is amazing. Some of the stuff he did tonight, I don't know how they're not going to give him the MVP. He just waits until you make a mistake and then takes advantage of it."

Ray Allen scored 33 for the Sonics and Damien Wilkins came through with 17 points in 27 minutes, but the story line was the lack of defensive pressure, especially against dribble penetration.

Phoenix players were freely allowed to dribble in the paint for easy layups or dishes. The fans became fed up when forward Boris Diaw went coast-to-coast for a layup untouched in the fourth quarter. By then, it was apparent the Sonics could do little but trade baskets.

"Somebody's got to help," forward Rashard Lewis said about the dribble penetration. "Slap somebody in the head, something. Man, if we can't get any stops, we can't win the game."

Since Hill has become coach, the Sonics consider themselves a running team and the coach instituted a midseason training camp to get players in better condition. After 2 1/2 quarters of the Suns' frantic, fast-paced style, however, the Sonics were exhausted.

They began running slower on fast breaks, allowing Phoenix to get open shots in transition. That's not a good strategy to stop the Suns and they torched the Sonics in the third period, making 16 of 24 shots.

Shawn Marion, who was invited to try out for the U.S. Olympic team, scored nine points in the period as Phoenix held a 102-90 lead going into the fourth. The Suns shot 56 percent and canned 11 3-pointers. Amazingly, they attempted just 13 free throws.

Hill went to a tiny lineup in the fourth period, with Lewis playing center and Wilkins at power forward with Allen, Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson.

"I thought our effort was really good, but we couldn't keep them in front of us," Hill said. "They're all good ball handlers, they're all good shooters and without their big guys, they shot the ball awfully well."

Allen tallied 25 points through three periods, but he began slowing down in the fourth, evidenced by a rare missed free throw, prompting injured Sun Kurt Thomas to remark, "Y'all been riding that horse all night and he's tired."

The Sonics were single-handedly overwhelmed by the recently acquired Tim Thomas, who came off the bench and scored 15 points in his first five minutes.

The Sonics did little to defend Thomas behind the 3-point line. Thomas canned 107 3-pointers five years ago with Milwaukee and hit another 85 last season with the Knicks. He hit 3 of 4 against the Sonics.

The only matter that stopped Thomas was foul trouble. He also picked up three fouls in that five-minute span and was forced to sit.

"I was almost ready to leave him out there with three, four or five fouls," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "For someone that hot, it's almost a shame to take them out."

The Suns lead the NBA in 3-pointers attempted and made, and they were often driving to the paint to kick out a pass for a long shot, especially Nash.

Nash, a Victoria, B.C. product, was showered with applause by the Canadian faithful. After the game, Nash spoke to several hundred kids who bused from British Columbia about the importance of staying in school.